Portable seal-press



(No Model.)

J. W. ALLEN.

PORTABLE SEAL PRESS.

No. 331,601. Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

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JAMES VV.'ALLEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

PORTABLE sear eaess.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,601, dated December 1, 1885.

Application filed July 2, 1885. Serial No. 170,556. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J ARIES \V. ALLEN, of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have made a certain new and useful Improvement in Portable SealPresses, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is a front elevation of my improved seal; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 8, a top view of the same; Fig. 4, a bottom view of the same; Fig. 5, ahorizontal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6, a vertical transverse section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Like letters refer to like parts wherever they appear.

The object of my invention is to provide a seal-press to be used by notaries public and like officers, which will be of convenient shape to carry about ones person, and at the same i time be so constructed that it may eifeetually be used for its purpose, and that it may be readily taken apart when desirable to change or adjust its dies.

In the construction of my portable sealpress the shape and construction of its parts are important, because the dificulties to overcome in making a'seal-press small enough to be portable are to make one in such shape that a proper grip for the hand can be provided, and at the same time to make it light and strong. These objects I accomplish by constructing my seal-press in the following manner:

I construct my frame A preferably of one piece of metal, and I make this frame in the shape shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings-that is, it is bow-sl1aped,with a broad flange at its back part, a, and at its lower part, a, to receive the hand, and which forms the grip. On the inner side of the bow at A the frame is broad and thick to give additional strength to it at that point. The inner side of the lower end of frame A (indicated by the letter B of the drawings) is broad and fiat, soas to form a broad seat for the lower plate of the seal. The upper end of the frame A (marked in the drawings B) is made broad and thick and provided with bearings X X for guide-pins, and bearing Y for the thumb screw, hereinafter described.

0 represents the upper seal plate or die.

D represents the lower seal plate or die.

So far as the impression parts of the dies are concerned, my invention does not differ from the construction of the seal-press in common use; but a part of my invention consists in the especial manner in which I connect the seal-plates O and D with the frame A, so as to make the whole operate efficiently for the purposes stated.

I connect the seal-plate D with part B of frame A by means of screws d d. I connect seal-plate 0, so that it can be raised or lowered, with part B of frame A in the followiug manner: The thumb screw E, passing through its threaded bearing Y in part B, enters into step or hearing a in the top of sealplate 0. The end of thumbscrew E where it enters step c is not threaded; but it is provided at that point with an encircling groove, 0. Thumbscrew E is kept in place in step c, and yet allowed to revolve freely in that step, in the following manner: A double pin, (horseshoe-shaped,) F, is passed through two openings in step 0, so that in passing through openings in step cit will pass in the groove 0 of thumb-screw E, so as to embrace the end of thumb-screw E on two sides. This will pre vent the withdrawal of thumb-screw E from seat 0 so long as pin F is in this position, and, owing to the shape of the pin F, as shown in Fig. 5, the friction of the thumb-screw E is exerted on both arms of the pin F equally in opposite directions, so that the pin shall remain at all times in its proper place. In bearings X X in part B, said bearings being on either side of bearing of thumb-screw E, (see Fig. 2,) are guide-pins G G, threaded at their lower ends, which are connected with sealplate 0 by femalethreaded openings 9 g in seal-plate.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The device, by means of its gripping portion, formed by the flange a and a of frame A, can be firmly held in one hand, while with the other hand the thumb-screw E can be turned so as to raise and lower the upper seal-plate, G, and this seal-plate is prevented from turning, and is directed in an upward and downward direction, by means of the guide-pins G G, working in their hearings in part B of frame A. I

When it is desirable to change the dies, or

for any other reason, the machine can be taken apart by withdrawing pin F, when thumbscrew E can be taken out from step c and unscrewed from its bearing in frame A. Then guidepins can be unscrewed from the threaded openings 9 g in plate 0 and said plate taken out. The lower plate, D, can be readily taken from its seat or bearing B by unscrewing the screws cl d.

I claim-- 1. As a new article of manufacture, a port able seal'press having broad flange a and an extension, a, to form a handgrip, seat B, and screws d d, in combination with a lower sealplate, D, thnmbscrew E, and guide-pins G G, said thumb-screw E and guide-pins G G being hung in bearings in the end of frame-workA opposite to seat B, and said thumb-screw E and guide-pins G Gbeing connected with upper seal-plate, C, so as to operate and move with said plate 0, substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

2. In a portable hand seal-press, the combination of a frame, A, with its flange a, extension a, seat B, bearings X X and Y, sealplate D and screws d d, seal-plate G, with its step c and guide-pin holes 9 g, thumb-screw E and its groove 0, pin F, and guide-pins G G, the whole combined and operating substantially as set forth, and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 29th day of June, 1885.

JAMES W. ALLEN.

WVitnesses:

PAUL BAKEWELL, LEANDER HA LLOCK. 

